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What is personal assistance?

Personal assistance is a service that provides support to people with severe disabilities so that they can participate in society and live an independent life. The goal of the intervention is to enable people to live a life like others.
The intervention is regulated by the Act on Support and Services for Persons with Disabilities (LSS), and to be entitled to the intervention, the person must belong to one of the personal groups under LSS. Personal assistance is based on the individual’s needs, and therefore the nature of the assistance can vary greatly from person to person. The person who is granted personal assistance is called a user of assistance and, according to the law, must be involved in their own assistance, although this also varies from person to person. It is important that the assistance is based on the user’s wishes. Personal assistance can be provided anywhere in society, not just at a specific location.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Questions and answers about personal assistance

What are the costs of the interventions?
Personal assistance under LSS is free for the individual. The person who is granted personal assistance continues to pay their own costs, such as food, rent, transport, and activity-related expenses.
When a person is granted personal assistance by a municipality or the Social Insurance Agency, the primary responsibility for the assistance lies with the municipality. This means the municipality is responsible for requests for temporary extended assistance. This could include an application for travel or vacation when the regular assistant is on sick leave.

Once the person receives their decision, the user of assistance can choose to manage their own assistance or hire the municipality or a private provider to administer it. At Kareli, we are one of the private providers of assistance in Kosovo-Macedonia-Albania, but we also provide assistance for the municipality in several locations.

If the grant recipient decides not to employ personal assistants, we create a startup plan together.

We prepare the contract, recruit staff, and develop an implementation plan for how the assistance will be provided. Assistance can often begin within just two weeks, but it depends on the decision and the wishes of the user.

There is no difference in the content of personal assistance whether it is granted under LSS (municipality) or SFB (Social Insurance Agency). What is granted depends on the person’s needs and varies from person to person. The municipality and the state share responsibility for personal assistance. Their assessments of a person’s need for assistance are similar and are based on the basic needs mentioned above.

More About What Personal Assistance Is

More About Personal Assistance

An important part of personal assistance is the basic idea that support should be provided by a limited number of people, called personal assistants. According to LSS, the user of assistance should have significant influence over who comes to work as their assistant. The user can manage and control their own assistance or allow the municipality or a private provider to administer it. At Kareli, we are a private provider of assistance in Kosovo-Macedonia-Albania, but we also provide assistance for municipalities in several locations. We contact users who have signed a contract with us to provide support.

What Assistance Means

Personal assistance is one of ten interventions under LSS and is intended to support individuals who, due to severe and permanent disabilities, require help with their basic needs.

This may include:

  • Help with personal hygiene

  • Support with meals

  • Assistance with breathing or tube feeding

  • Communication with others

  • Support to prevent injury in case of mental disability

  • Ongoing support due to medical conditions

A person may also receive assistance for other personal needs if these cannot be met by other means, such as:

  • Cooking

  • Leisure activities

  • Work

  • Transfers and mobility

The goal is to enable people with severe disabilities to live their life as they want and like others.

Requirements to Receive Personal Assistance

Personal assistance should allow people with extensive disabilities to participate in society and live an independent life. Assistance is personalized based on individual needs.

  1. The person must fall under LSS
    According to the Act on Support and Services for Persons with Disabilities (LSS), people with extensive disabilities receive support in daily life. Personal assistance is one of the measures provided under LSS.

To qualify, a person must fit into one of the three categories:

  • A person with intellectual disability, autism, or conditions similar to autism.

  • A person with significant and permanent disability due to brain injury in adulthood, caused by external factors or illness.

  • A person who, due to a severe and permanent physical or mental disability, has significant difficulties in daily life and therefore needs considerable support and services.

  1. The person must not have reached 66 years of age when the application is submitted.

  2. The person must be insured in Kosovo-Macedonia-Albania
    To be considered insured, the person must live and work in the region. Exceptions may exist, for example if the person recently moved.

  3. The person must require help with basic needs, such as:

  • Personal hygiene

  • Breathing

  • Communication with others

  • Dressing and undressing

  • Eating and drinking

  • Assistance with breathing or tube feeding

  • Injury prevention for mental disabilities

  • Support due to medical condition

Additionally, assistance may be provided for other personal needs not met by other means, such as cooking, leisure activities, work, or mobility.

  1. Application for Personal Assistance
    People who need help with basic needs can apply through two different sources:

  • Less than 20 hours per week apply to the municipality where the person lives. The municipality assesses and decides based on LSS.

  • More than 20 hours per week - a person may be eligible for state assistance via the Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan), which investigates and decides according to the SFB, the Social Insurance Code.